jump scare

noun

variants or less commonly jump-scare

ˈjəmp-ˌsker 

or jumpscare

plural jump scares also jump-scares or jumpscares

: a scripted moment (as in a film or video game) intended to startle the audience

The biggest jolts in "The Omen" … come from conventionally staged jump scares, where a nasty image suddenly flashes on the screen accompanied by a startling sound effect.

—Li Wang

… differentiates itself from other VR [=virtual reality] horror games by not resorting to cheap jump-scares, instead flexing its brilliant visuals to build an atmospheric sense of foreboding.

—Chris Button

Examples of jump scare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The haunting film may not have traditional jump scares, but its disturbing plot is straight out of a gothic fairy tale. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026

The jump scares alone are absolutely insane with the Woojer on. —Joe Salas may 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026

The silence in the room primes the nervous system for potential jump scares, and the jump scares arrive. —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 27 May 2026

Like a bright headlight facing you dead on or the sudden honk of a loud horn, only the jump scares keep you from falling asleep during the seemingly interminable Passenger. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jump scare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare